Students Spotlight : Nicolas Castellan

Columbus High School junior Nicolas Castellan has volunteered with HIS House, an orphanage in Miami Gardens. The Castellan family is friendly with a well-known Argentinian artist Milo Lockett and Castellan talked to the artist about the orphanage.

“We decided that it would be a great project if he could come to HIS House and give an art class,” Castellan said. “In Argentina, he is very well know. He’s like Britto.”

Castellan said Lockett likes to do charity events and wanted to help the kids, so they arranged for the March visit to the orphanage to paint with the children.

“All the kids painted — and he painted one himself,” Castellan said. “I was there helping out. I was talking to the kids.”

Lockett’s painting was sold later at a gala for HIS House. The children were giving the option of taking their artwork home or having it auctioned at the gala.

Castellan was happy to provide an activity for the children who speak Spanish exclusively because they often miss out on the activities that are done only in English.

At Columbus. Castellan is on the roller hockey team. He also is a member of the new Patriot Club, which organizes events for veterans. Club members have been raising money to help fund a veteran who is rowing from the Northeast to the Keys.

“It’s to raise awareness for PTSD,” he said.

He also is in Squires, which is an organization at school that allows students to learn about and sign up for charity events.

Next year when he’s applying for colleges, he will likely be focused on majors in the business sector such as business administration or international business. He did an internship in the medical area and discovered a career in medicine is not for him. Castellan also is interested in languages. He speaks English and Spanish fluently, and took Latin through the Florida Virtual School. He takes French at Columbus.